Gospel Notes by Michael Whelan SM
When the crowds found out about it, they followed him; and he welcomed them, and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed to be cured.
The day was drawing to a close, and the twelve came to him and said, “Send the crowd away, so that they may go into the surrounding villages and countryside, to lodge and get provisions; for we are here in a deserted place.” But he said to them, “You give them something to eat.” They said, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish—unless we are to go and buy food for all these people.” For there were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, “Make them sit down in groups of about fifty each.” They did so and made them all sit down. And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd. And all ate and were filled. What was left over was gathered up, twelve baskets of broken pieces (Luke 9:11-17 – NRSV).
Introductory notes
General
This is the only miracle recorded in all four Gospels. See Matthew 14:13–21, Mark 6:30–44 and John 6:1–15. Both Luke and Matthew depend on Mark.
Luke’s chapter 9 begins with the mission of the twelve – 9:1-6 – and ends with the beginning of the final journey to Jerusalem – 9:51-62. The major theme has been set in Luke 8:1: “he went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God”. Jesus is preparing the disciples to continue his work: “Luke prefers, with his distinctive focus here on speaking about the kingdom of God and healing (Mark has a healing in Bethsaida in 8:22–26), to establish continuity with the central motif for this section (see 8:1) and to underline the continuity between Jesus’ ministry and that of the Twelve (see 9:2). Luke will concentrate the Christological focus of the pericope onto the feeding itself, and in particular onto its eucharistic connections” (J Nolland, Luke 1:1–9:20 (Vol. 35A), Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 2002, 441).
Specific
it: That is, the fact that when the disciples returned from their mission, “(Jesus) took them with him and withdrew privately to a city called Bethsaida” (9:10). And so they “followed him” to Bethsaida.
he welcomed them: This is an extraordinary moment! Jesus wans to be alone with the disciples who have just returned, yet he shows hospitality to the crowds who seek his attention. It is puzzling that Luke omits Mark’s reference at this point to the compassion of Jesus – see Mark 6:34. Though we should assume that Jesus’ hospitality contains both mercy and compassion. And perhaps Jesus’ hospitality here is a complement to the crowd’s hospitality earlier: “When Jesus returned, the crowd welcomed him, for they were all waiting for him” (Luke 8:40).
“You give them something to eat”: In accord with Jesus’ desire that the disciples continue his work, he turns the responsibility back on them: “You give them something to eat”. But, in the end, it is Jesus who acts.
the kingdom of God: Luke begins referring to “the kingdom of God” in 4:43. “This is the first reference to the kingdom in the Gospel proper. In most cases Luke refers to it in this way (6:20; 7:28; 8:1, 10; 9:2, 11, 27, 60, 62; 10:9, 11; 11:20; 13:18, 20, 28, 29; 14:15; 16:16; 17:20bis, 21; 18:16, 17, 24, 25, 29; 19:11; 21:31; 22:16, 18; 23:51). Sometimes, however, he speaks of it merely as ‘the kingdom’ (11:2; 12:31, 32; 22:29, 30; 23:42). But he never uses the ‘kingdom of heaven’, which Matthew often employs.
“The ‘kingdom’ is the prime kerygmatic announcement in the Synoptic tradition, especially in Matthew, where it appears fifty-five times, whereas it occurs in Luke only thirty-eight times, and in Mark fourteen times. John uses it five times. In earlier Pauline literature it is sometimes found, but it is scarcely the operative or dynamic element that it has become in the Synoptic kerygma. In fact, save for a few places (e.g. 1 Cor 15:24; Col 1:13), it is otherwise mostly used in the Pauline corpus in catalogues of vices or similar statements that reflect early Christian catechesis.
“Surprisingly, no attempt is made at this first occurrence of the expression in the Lucan Gospel to define what “the kingdom of God” is. But this is equally true of the other Synoptics. Jesus is presented as taking over an OT idea and giving a new emphasis to it in his kerygmatic preaching” (Joseph A Fitzmyer, The Gospel according to Luke I–IX: introduction, translation, and notes (Vol. 28), New Haven; London: Yale University Press, 2008, 557). News of the kingdom is the good news! The disciples will continue Jesus’ proclamation after he has gone.
taking the five loaves and the two fish etc :The series of verbs – took, blessed, broke and gave – is repeated at the Last Supper and at Emmaus. The Eucharistic overtones are unmistakable.
A morality of welcome
In todays’ Gospel – Luke 9:11-17 – we are told that Jesus welcomed the crowds that sought him out. What is it like to feel welcomed? It is certainly different from being ignored or rejected! In the latter case, you are implicitly labelled as an outsider, someone who does not belong. It can undermine your very sense of identity as a human being. Welcome, on the other hand, tells you that you do belong, you are accepted. Welcome can affirm your very sense of identity as a human being. No doubt we have all experienced both being welcomed and being rejected.
Which do you think God favours: Welcome or rejection? Luke is in no doubt that God seeks to welcome and be welcomed. “Luke sees the whole life and ministry of Jesus as a visitation on God’s part to Israel and the world. From the start this raises the question, how will this guest, this visitor, be received? The crucial point is that those who do receive him find that he brings them into a much wider sphere of hospitality: the ‘hospitality of God.’ The One who comes as visitor and guest in fact becomes host and offers a hospitality in which human beings and, potentially, the entire world can become truly human, be at home, know salvation in the depths of their hearts” (Brendan Byrne SJ, The Hospitality of God: A Reading of Luke’s Gospel, Liturgical Press. Kindle Edition).
Consider Luke’s parables of the Good Samaritan (10:25-37) and the Prodigal Son (15:11-32). These parables – unique to Luke – are parables of welcome. They firmly reject rejection. The religious authorities did not welcome this message: “The Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, ‘This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.’” The more we become identified with Jesus the more welcoming we will be. Welcome is just another way of talking about love.
The feeding of the five thousand is a remarkable experience of welcome. Initially – we might say, naturally – the disciples suggested that they “send the crowd away.” Jesus’ inclination to welcome the crowd leads to a miracle.
Does this not teach us something about how to approach the Eucharist? Everyone is welcome! Miracles will happen. When we say, “Lord I am not worthy, say but the word and my soul shall be healed,” we are in effect saying, “I accept your welcome. You, Lord are welcome in my life!”
This is not private devotion. The welcome of the Lord gathers us together. This is a communal experience. We approach the altar together. Together we seek to welcome the Lord in our midst. There are no labels here. “There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to the promise” (Galatians 3:28-29).